原文 Original text
繁體 Traditional
Reader's edition
甚相應也
A Most Fitting Trade
伶俐蟲道：「哥啊，裝天的寶貝，與他換了罷。」精細鬼道：「他裝天的，怎肯與我裝人的相換？」伶俐蟲道：「若不肯啊，貼他這個淨瓶也罷。」行者心中暗喜道：「葫蘆換葫蘆，餘外貼淨瓶：一件換兩件，其實甚相應。」即上前扯住那伶俐蟲道：「裝天可換麼？」那怪道：「但裝天就換，不換我是你的兒子。」行者道：「也罷，也罷，我裝與你們看看。」伶俐虫道：「哥啊，装天的宝贝，与他换了罢。」精细鬼道：「他装天的，怎肯与我装人的相换？」伶俐虫道：「若不肯啊，贴他这个净瓶也罢。」行者心中暗喜道：「葫芦换葫芦，余外贴净瓶：一件换两件，其实甚相应。」即上前扯住那伶俐虫道：「装天可换么？」那怪道：「但装天就换，不换我是你的儿子。」行者道：「也罢，也罢，我装与你们看看。」
逐句解 Line by line
伶俐蟲道：「哥啊，裝天的寶貝，與他換了罷。」
伶俐虫道：「哥啊，装天的宝贝，与他换了罢。」
Clever-Bug said: “Brother — a treasure that bottles the sky! Let's trade for it.”
與他換了罷 (yǔ tā huàn le ba), “let's trade [ours] for it,” the hortative 罷 (ba). The imp's greed does Pilgrim's work for him.
精細鬼道：「他裝天的，怎肯與我裝人的相換？」
精细鬼道：「他装天的，怎肯与我装人的相换？」
Fine-and-Keen said: “His bottles the sky — why would he trade it for ours that only bottle men?”
相換 (xiāng huàn), “to exchange with each other,” 相 read xiāng. The more cautious imp doubts, but only over terms.
伶俐蟲道：「若不肯啊，貼他這個淨瓶也罷。」
伶俐虫道：「若不肯啊，贴他这个净瓶也罢。」
Clever-Bug said: “If he won't, we'll throw in this jade vase to sweeten it.”
貼 (tiē), “to add on, throw in to make up a difference.” 也罷 (yě bà), “that'll do, so be it,” 罷 here bà.
行者心中暗喜道：「葫蘆換葫蘆，餘外貼淨瓶：一件換兩件，其實甚相應。」
行者心中暗喜道：「葫芦换葫芦，余外贴净瓶：一件换两件，其实甚相应。」
Pilgrim rejoiced in secret: “Gourd for gourd, and the jade vase thrown in besides — one for two! Truly a most fitting bargain.”
餘外 (yú wài), “besides, on top of that.” 甚相應 (shèn xiāng yìng), “most fitting, well-suited”; 甚 here the intensifier shèn, “very,” and 相應, “to match, correspond,” 應 read yìng.
即上前扯住那伶俐蟲道：「裝天可換麼？」
即上前扯住那伶俐虫道：「装天可换么？」
He stepped forward at once, took hold of Clever-Bug, and said: “Bottle the sky, and we'll trade?”
扯住 (chě zhù), “to grab hold of.” Pilgrim closes the deal before they can reconsider.
那怪道：「但裝天就換，不換我是你的兒子。」
那怪道：「但装天就换，不换我是你的儿子。」
The imps said: “Just bottle the sky and we'll trade — if we don't, I'm your son.”
不換我是你的兒子 (bù huàn wǒ shì nǐ de ér zi), “if I don't trade, I'm your son” — a coarse oath of good faith; 兒子 (ér zi), “son,” 兒 the noun ér.
行者道：「也罷，也罷，我裝與你們看看。」
行者道：「也罢，也罢，我装与你们看看。」
Pilgrim said: “Very well, very well — I'll bottle it for you to see.”
也罷，也罷 (yě bà, yě bà), “all right, all right,” 罷 here bà, the concessive. Pilgrim feigns reluctance to complete the con.
總評 Commentary
Greed completes what Pilgrim began. Clever-Bug, dazzled by a sky-bottling treasure, presses at once to trade; Fine-and-Keen hesitates only over the terms, and his hesitation merely sweetens the deal — the jade vase is thrown in to make up the difference, so that Pilgrim will win two treasures for his one worthless decoy. His secret glee, “one for two, a most fitting bargain,” names the swindle precisely.
The imps seal their own ruin with a coarse oath — “if we don't trade, I'm your son” — while Pilgrim, feigning reluctance (“Very well, very well”), lets himself be talked into the demonstration he has been angling for all along. The scene is the pivot of the whole con: everything now depends on Pilgrim actually appearing to bottle the sky, which sends him, in the next passage, to petition Heaven itself for the loan.